WASGO BOX

This is a solid cedar box I made as a commission for a lady last year. She had a soapstone carving of Wasgo (a Northwest Coast First Nations legend – Google it if you want the complete story) and needed a stand to display it properly. I was recommended to her by my friend Herb Rice, a local Native carver for whom I make blank boxes for him to carve, as he is not the box-maker type! After discussions with her we settled on this design but to make it practical, it is also being used as a blanket box for some Hudson Bay blankets and Native blankets she has. The carving is quite large and this box measures 28” high x 25” wide and 18” deep. It is all 1” thick clear western red cedar. The kelp is line-carved and painted and there are real polished stones the kelp is attached to and various size abalone rounds to simulate bubbles rising to the surface.

Picture 2 – Sizing one of the 4 panels on the table saw.

Picture 3 – Carcass in the clamps – Gawd I hope I got them square!

Picture 4 – Yep, I did!

Picture 5 – Selecting the wood for the panels and trying to grain match as closely as possible – you just can’t get cedar that wide anymore so there was a lot of clamping to make large panels. As they were over large, I took them to a local custom door and moulding outfit and they ran them through their big sander for me to surface them prior to finishing.